21 Interesting Facts To Know Before Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

By Jerry Tanzania Tours

Rising majestically above the plains of Tanzania;
Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain of the African Continent. The mountain
offers 6 panoramic trail-routes that drive people crazy worldwide. 30,000+
climbers are trying to summit this adventurous mountain each year.

If you are planning for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, here are few Mount Kilimanjaro facts that will educate you to climb.

Fact #1It Is The Tallest Freestanding Mountain Of The World

The highest peak of Kilimanjaro is sitting on an altitude of 5,895m that is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. The mountain is mostly compared with Everest, as both the summits are the most preferred by the trekkers. Everest is, however, the highest peak in the Asian continent as well as the highest one of the 7 summits of in the world. However, Everest is a group of the mountain where Kilimanjaro is a free-standing mountain.

Fact #2First, ever-climbing was in 1889

Hans Heinrich Josef Meyer was a German geographer belongs to
Hildburghausen who was the first person to successfully touch the summit of
Kilimanjaro. He reached on the top of Kilimanjaro in October 1889.

Fact #3It Consists Of Three Volcanic Cones

Kilimanjaro is the highest volcanic peak of Africa that consists of three dormant volcanoes namely Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo. Built 75,000 years ago 3 of these volcano peaks are dead now, out of which Shira collapses first. Mawenzi’s summit is a steep rocky peak surrounded by cliffs 1,600 ft.

Fact #4 The Most Recent Volcanic Activity Was 200 Years Ago

From the 3 volcanic peaks, Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo; Mawenzi and Shira are extinct however, Kibo is the highest peak of the Mt. Kilimanjaro. Kibo is a dormant volcano that can erupt again and the most recent eruption occurred 200 years ago.

Fact #55 Unique Kinds Of Ecosystem Can Be Found On Kilimanjaro

If you are someone planning for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro you will experience something truly spectacular. While ascending to this majestic mountain you are going to meet 5 climatic zones. Cultivation Zone: At the foothill 2,600 ft to almost – 6,000 ft you will meet the cultivation zone.

Rainforest Zone:

This is known as zone 2; it continues from 6,000 ft to just over 9,000 ft.

Heather and Mooreland Zone: This is known as the 3rd
zone that continues from 9,000 ft and continues up to 13,000 ft.

Desert Zone:

The 4th Zone begins around 13,000 ft. and continues up to 16,000 ft known as Highland or Desert Zone.

The Arctic Zone:

The elevation begins around 16,000 ft. and continues to the top of Uhuru Peak at 19,340 ft. Known as Arctic Zone.

Fact#6You Don’t Need To Be A Professional Mountain Climber To Climb It

Kilimanjaro offers a complete non-technical climb, therefore, many aspired trekkers intended to climb this majestic peak. If you are planning for climbing Kilimanjaro and don’t have any professional mountaineering skill then don’t worry, Kilimanjaro is a perfect peak to hike. The Mountain is known as “everyman’s Everest” for its walk only trails.

Fact #7The Youngest One To Reach Is A 7 Years Old

7-year-old Keats Boyd is the youngest person who climbed
Kilimanjaro successfully. The boy was only 4 feet tall conquered the mountain
with a team of guides, porters, and his father. Inspired from an interview
going on a TV show, this little one achieved his mountain size dream and holds
the title of the youngest climber to Kilimanjaro.

Fact #8 The Oldest Person To Climb Kilimanjaro Is 85 Years Old

The oldest person for Climbing Kilimanjaro successfully is Dr. Robert J Wheeler, who climbed this highest summit of the African Continent in 85 years. Dr. Wheeler was accompanied by his son Wiliam who hiked via Marangu Route who finished the climb on 2 October 2014.

Fact #9The Mountain’s Snow-Cap Has Been Lost More Than 80 %

Located near the equator the snow-capped Kilimanjaro has stunned the world with its natural beauty and the peak covered with a white sheet of the glacier is the prime attraction of Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing that pushes the trekkers to finish the climb. The snow that covered the peak of Kilimanjaro 11,000 years since the last Ice Age is melting rapidly. It’s been recorded that the mountain has lost at least 80% of snow due to global warming.

Fact #10Drastic Weather Change From Crest To Peak

This large mountain creates its geographical weather and the
temperature changes at each zone as the mountain goes through 5 climatic zones.
While you are supposed to feel a lot warmer and humidity is high on the first
few zones of the mountain where the temperature remains 30-35 degrees; the
summit is the coldest of all. The temperature goes down to a minus temperature
where you can feel like a blood-freezing cold.

Fact #11 Success Rates & Deaths

Approximately 30,000 trekkers are Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro every year out of which approximately 65% trekkers are successfully landing on the peak of Kilimanjaro. However, the success rate depends upon a lot of factors like how to fit you are, which route you choose, etc.

While the exact calculation of death on Kilimanjaro is
unknown but there is the rarest chance of death An approximate record says 3-8
people die on the mountain per year, out of all 11,1000 climbers including
porters, guides, and climber hike up to the mountain.

Fact #12Fastest Ascend To The Top

The fastest ascend and descend recorded on Kilimanjaro was done by Swiss mountain runner Karl Egloff On August 13, 2014, who completed the journey in just 4 hours and 56 minutes.

Danish athlete Kristina Schou Madsen is another titleholder
for fastest climbing on February 23rd, 2018 that took 6 hours, 52 minutes and
54 seconds

Simon Mtuy from Tanzania holds the record of Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro who climbed from Umbwe Gate to the summit and back in 9 hours 19 minutes.

Fact #13 It Helps To Strengthen The Local Economy

The trekking operators have to pay 18% of VAT to Tanzanian Govt. that is one of the good sources of revenue for the govt. This revenue is further being used for the betterment of Tanzanians to develop their standard of living. Moreover, it provides various kinds of work opportunities to the localities to manage of livelihood.

Fact #14 The Snow-Cap May Vanish By The Coming 20 Years Due To Global Warming

Due to global warming, the snow on the top of Kilimanjaro is
melting rapidly. The snow-capped peak of the majestic mountain may soon be
falling on bare ground without any glacier. As per the studies going on about
Kilimanjaro and global warming, it’s been concluded that the mountain the snow
on the mountain will get disappear entirely within 20 years, due largely to
climate change.

Fact #15 Game On The Top Of Kilimanjaro

The highest altitude cricket match: On September 28, 2014, a cricket match was played on the top of Kilimanjaro by some international players which include English bowling legend Ashley Giles and South African icon Makhaya Ntini to set a record.

World’s highest ever Soccer matches: Another record was made by 2 teams of female soccer players who played a soccer match on the top of Kilimanjaro in June 2017. There was a total of 32 female international pros and graduates of sports charities from 20 countries were participated in the match.

Apart from these 2 games, a rugby match was also played on
top of Kilimanjaro by 38 climbers.

Fact #16 Disability Is Not Inability

Aaron Phipps has become the first disabled mountaineer to climb the peak of Kilimanjaro at the age of 33. This Britain wheelchair rugby player made the history after Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair.

Crawling by hands Spencer West was the person who created
history by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro at the age of 31. He belongs to Toronto,
Canada who lost his legs when he was just 5 years.

3 American soldiers’ veterans of Afghanistan, Iraq, and
Vietnam ascend Kilimanjaro with only 1 leg. These 3 friends Neil Duncan (26
years), Duncan, and Dan Nevins (37 years old) decided to take a 6 days route
and completed the trek successfully.

Herta von Stiegel decided on her 50th birthday to climb
Kilimanjaro with 7 disabled people and she started raising charity to do so.
After 4 years she went with 7 physically challenged people out of which 3
successfully climbed to the summit.

A group of blind and able-bodied climbers from India and
Israel climbed to the peak of Kilimanjaro successfully in Sep 2018.

Fact #17 ”Pizza Hut’’ Set A Record Of Pizza Delivery To The Top

To do something different the Pizza Hut people decided to
set a bench-mark and then decided to deliver a pizza on the top of the tallest
mountain of Africa. As Pizza Hut delivered previously to the White House and
the International Space Station they decided to something new, and they
completed the challenge of delivering the pizza on the top of Uhuru Peak. They
have settled a Guinness World Records title for the highest altitude pizza
delivery on land at a height of 19,341 feet.

Fact #18 The Most Popular Marangu Route Has The Lowest Success Rate

Marangu Route is the most popular route of Kilimanjaro as it’s the oldest and the most established one. The route receives the highest traffic, as it is the shortest and direct route to Uhuru. Marangu is the only route that comes with hut facility hence the trekkers can expect a good sleep in the huts that all come with bunk beds and mattresses. However, providing a short itinerary of 5 days, the Marangu Route offers very poor acclimatization hence it has the lowest success rate.

Fact#19 Africa’s Tallest Indigenous Tree Lives On Kilimanjaro

Entandrophragma excelsum is the tallest and native tree found in the African continent. The tallest Entandrophragma has been founded on a remote valley of Kilimanjaro, measuring a whopping 81.5 meters. These massive trees play a really important role in this tallest Mountian’s ecosystem.

Fact #20 You Will Put Your Name Inside A Wooden Box On The Uhuru Peak

As you know climbing Mount Kilimanjaro successfully is a big challenge, to celebrate this victory there is a custom of the signing of the trekkers’ name as a piece of memory. After reaching the top of Uhuru peak, there is a wooden box you will find where the trekkers sign their name and store it inside that box as a symbol of accomplishment of a hard journey.

Fact #21Despite Being Crowded Throughout The Years It Is Very Well-Maintained

It’s quite expected that you can find a lot of dirt on the way of climbing Kilimanjaro as there are thousands of people hiking the mountain throughout the year. But surprisingly, you won’t find any piece of trace neither on the way nor on the top of the mountain. With an effort of the trek operators along with the trekkers, the mountain is on its best of cleanness.

jerry tanzania tours

Jerry Tanzania Tours is one of the no 1 reputable operators on Mount Kilimanjaro, leading over 1000 climbs and guiding 2,000 people every year. We do what we state and are focused on our customers. Because of which we endeavour to push our limits and surpass their desire by giving them the best climbing experience. Won't you join us on the Roof of Africa?